My First Craft Show A Success!


There was a lot of prep work that went into my first craft show and it was such a great experience, but I am exhausted! Can I sleep now? :)

It was strange having my cards on display for everyone to see. I've never done that before! Lots of people stopped by and complimented me on my cards which was so nice to hear! And I couldn't believe how quickly I sold out of pillow boxes! I don't think I even took a picture of the ones I created (shame on me!). They are handy little things to stuff candies or gift cards in there. Note to self: make more pillow boxes next time!

Congratulations to Nicola!! She is my draw prize winner of 6 handmade birthday cards! I'm sending them in the mail for you Nicola! Way to go.

Of course, I must mention that it wasn't the best day to have a craft show because it was snowing!! I think Vancouverites were not willing to go out in the cold. And to be honest, I probably would have stayed curled up in bed with hot chocolate if I had the choice. Some of the other crafters at the Urban Artisan craft show had been there for a few years in a row and they said it was a slow year.

If you know of a craft show in your area, let me know! I'm looking for new ones all the time!

Timberline Retreat
Last weekend I went to a scrapbooking retreat at the Timberline Ranch. It was my second retreat and it was tons of fun. I drove out there with my friend Lana but we got there a little late on Friday night because traffic was horrible getting out to Maple Ridge. As soon as we walked in and got our things organized we had about 30 minutes left before the name tag contest. By the time I changed and got into my creative mindset, I had about 10 minutes left. And I made a tag! That's probably the least amount of time I've spent to complete a scrapbooking project EVER! haha

Throughout the weekend, there were draw prizes and a "my favourite layout" contest. It added some excitement to our time. I didn't work on any layouts but I did get a lot of cards done for my craft show this weekend. I worked on over 160 cards! I'm not sure how many I'll sell this weekend, so I might be sending two to each friend if I don't sell many :) Here are a couple of samples.



I hope to see you at the Roundhouse on Saturday, December 1st between 10am and 5pm. I'll be holding a draw prize too. You have to show up to be entered, more details at the show. See you there!

Big News!

I got a letter that reads: "Congratulations! You have been accepted to participate as a vendor in the Urban Artisans Craft Fair". My first official craft fair! I will be exhibiting on Saturday, December 1st at the Roundhouse (Davie and Pacific, downtown) from 10am to 5pm. The competition is stiff and I was biting my nails while the jurying was happening. I'm so excited I made the cut!

If you're a little into crafts or you need some unique gifts for Christmas, you should stop by. There are over 50 local artists and craftspeople displaying their work. Even if you want to stop by just to say "hello!" that would be great too.

So spread the news...I'll be at the Roundhouse on Saturday, December 1st from 10am to 5pm selling a variety of cards, and maybe a few unique non-card items too.

This is my first post in a while. I've been posting all my cards and scrapbooking news at www.carolinehickton.com. And my NEW goal is to keep this blog for ideas and comments on scrapbooking, cardmaking and any other fun stuff.

What inspired me to write this blog is that I went to a CKC convention in Bellvue today. It was like being a kid in a candy store. The vendor fair was a lot to take in. Every company and product I could think of was there - except for one product. I was hoping to pick up one of those drink & garbage holders that attach to the table. Would you believe I couldn't find one? But I did see some neat things I haven't seen before.

The other part of the convention was the classes. I didn't participate in any, but I did get to peek in on a CK class with the instructor Brittany Beattie (associate editor of Creaking Keepsakes Magazine). She was so nice! I quietly sat at the back of the room and as she was instructing, she was walking around checking on everyone. She came to the back of the class and introduced herself to me. She made me feel very welcomed.

One of the volunteer Teaching Assistants chatted with me (quietly since the class was still in session). She told me a few tips for CKCs. She said classes can be tons of fun and the trick is to jump right in! If I were to go to another CKC, that's exactly what I plan to do - jump in and take some classes.

Here's one of my favourite things I saw today, it's a t-shirt that says "It's all fun and games until someone loses an eyelet."


And for the devoted scrappers who may be wondering what I picked up, I got a book called "Scrapbooking Your Family History: The Ultimate Workbook". I think this is exactly what I need to get going on my own personal childhood book. It's another one of my goals (next to keeping this blog going with fun stuff on a regular basis). I want to work with my parents and scrapbook an "All About Me" album. Wish me luck!

Big news!
I'm expanding my business and have created a new website for Caroline's Creations, to be redirected click on the link: www.CarolineHickton.com

Just For Dad
Moms had their day, now it's Dad's turn. Send this card to your dad and show him you're thinking of him. Father's Day cards are usually humourous, here are a couple examples of greetings you could write inside.

Greeting 1: Dad, you've been like a father to me.

Greeting 2: This is a perfect time to hear about my hidden trust fund.

Greeting 3: Grandpa, let's get to know each other better before you get Alzheimer's.











Here's the fine print: These greetings are from some e cards and are only recommended if your Dad/Grandpa has a good sense of humour, Caroline's Creations is not responsible for any consequences of such greetings.

Here comes the bride, and a special wedding invitation
A very good friend of mine recently set her wedding date in September so of course I jumped at the chance to help her with her wedding invitations. Thankfully it will be a small wedding which meant we could really go all-out on the invites. My friend had a few things in mind of what she wanted (like the picture of their feet on the front and the colours) and together we figured out a design for the card. It was a wonderful experience to make these cards with my friend. The bonus is that if I don't get an invite to the wedding I can make my own!













The inside of the card has a pocket with two tags for more information and the RSVP card and envelope.











Here is the back of the card, keeping with the feet theme. This is a special technique called embossing. It's a stamp that is then covered with gold powder and heat embossed to make it solid.

Save a horse, send a cowboy card

Here's another addition to my custom birthday cards, made for a big fan of rodeos.

Spoil your mom
Forget the crayon scribbled "I love you" or the cheesy store bought card. Treat your mom this mother's day. Give her a handmade card. Get your order in by May 9th to get a card in time for mother's day (it's May 13th, by the way).

Custom Birthday Cards

It's been a while since I've posted, but I have been busy making custom birthday cards. I've had a lot of fun with these. The first one (red and black) is a fun card I was challenged to make for a ten year old boy who loves martial arts. It's on the higher end of the price range but definitely worth the extra personal effort. It's what I call an "exclusive card" because chances are you won't see another card like it.

Lovey-Dove-Dove

It's here! The new design for Valentine's Day. Maybe you don't like all the hype that goes with Valentine's Day. Instead of giving major card companies your money, buy this card and give it to someone who is least expecting it. The inside of this card is blank so you can write your own sickly sweet message, or be as sour and bitter as you desire!

(Note: the "x" and "o" are glittery)